“BeHeld” Ayla Nereo
Outstanding indie folk set from Stanford alumna Ayla Nereo — a collection of insightful, personal reflections on life and living. Nereo’s delicate, floating voice serves as a captivating instrument of its own throughout the CD — doubled, harmonizing or used as a background for the lead vocals — mixed with acoustic guitar, piano, light percussion, and occasionally strings or brass. While this is Ayla’s third solo CD (but our first here at KZSU), she can also be heard on two Beatbeat Whisper CDs that we have, performing with her brother, Davyd. Good time to check those out as well!
— Francis

Recommended: 8, 9, 2, 5, 1, or 10. FCC clean.

1. (2:49) Oh Love! — Feist-like without being formulaic. Playful piano and sweet vocals. Simple, honest indie folk-pop. **
2. (2:53) Hello Beloved — Acoustic guitar with Nereo’s earnest vocals and beautiful harmonies. Very simple. **
3. (4:32) Feathered Bow — Syncopated beat, with rich a capella harmonies layered under lead vocal.
4. (3:14) Colors — Toy box-like bells with Nereo’s childlike vocals. Strings add a nice dimension partway through.
5. (4:44) I Could Write — Piano, guitar and Nereo’s emotive vocals create a melodic, circular folk song. **
6. (2:09) Rest, Child — Sweet vocals backed by xylophone. Song pauses for a few seconds in middle, then ends with one-minute instrumental.
7. (1:33) Winds of the West — Nereo’s a capella voice is an amazing, multilayered instrument in this short song.
8. (3:55) Thorny Rose — Beautiful, rich indie folk. Guitar, strings and Nereo’s lilting voice paint a colorful landscape. ****
9. (5:04) Wasted Hours — Upbeat and bouncy. A bit of a strummy folk flavor to this. Honest vocals focus on learning about love as not being wasted time. ***
10. (3:21) It’s Okay — Lovely, floating melody, with sweet harmonies under lead vocals. **
11. (3:52) Asalam Shalom — Middle Eastern flavor. Circular picking guitar. Light rhythm including bongos.
12. (3:46) Sacred Mountain — Upbeat, storytelling song about challenges to the planet. Brass layered in at end.
13. (4:42) Headin’ North — Revival style song, with Dixieland jazz feel at end. In first half of song, Nereo’s voice stands alone in harmonies, with light handclaps. Brass, piano and string bass added for the jazzy last 2:20.